Overview:

NOTE: In order to receive application guidelines you must attend an informational meeting on the second Thursday of every month. Registration is required – no walk-ins, please.

“What if…” Mini Grants

The “What if…” mini grant program started in 2011 as an outgrowth of the Foundation’s longtime initiatives working on the grassroots level in Syracuse neighborhoods. “What if…” is designed to foster growth in neighborhoods, strengthen the capacity of Syracuse residents who seek to make positive changes in their neighborhood and increase community participation, awareness and partnerships.

We believe that the people who live in a community should decide what happens in their community. Therefore we look for projects that are driven by neighbors, grassroots organizations or others who are actively involved in making our city a better place. “What if…” grants are given for projects with a total budget of $5,000 or less for neighborhoods within the City of Syracuse. The average grant size is $3,193.

One of the keystones of the “What if…” mini grant program is community involvement, so previous recipients of these small, grassroots grants are invited to serve on our Resident Review Committee to review, advise and play a role in evaluating “What if…” proposals.

Program Areas

We look to support efforts to build community capacity through the following:

Projects that are supportive of individual and family well-being such as food programs, neighborhood watch programs, youth employment, etc.

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Eligibility:

In order to receive application guidelines you must attend an informational meeting on the second Thursday of every month from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Gifford Offices on the 3rd Floor of the First Niagara building, 126 North Salina Street (corner of James and North Salina.)

The Foundation only invites proposals after meeting with organizations

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Our Mission

Nonprofits and academics are accelerating social progress and innovation. It's time for a lack of funding to stop getting in the way. We built Instrumentl to help you move the world forward, one project at a time.